The Hands-Down Best Potbelly Sandwich — We Have Zero Complaints

When Tasting Table tried and ranked nine different sandwiches at Potbelly, one very clearly came out on top. Though the popular establishment has a few orders that are tough to beat, the hefty Cubano is one that deserves to be revisited again and again. Layered with melted Swiss, slow-cooked pulled pork, hickory smoked ham, pickles, and mustard, Potbelly's version is a riff on a tried-and-true Cubano recipe. The satisfying effort hits all the expected flavor notes of creamy, savory, salty tanginess that have gradually come to define a Cubano. Though Potbelly's recipe lacks the traditional yellow mustard that is typically seen in Cubano sandwiches, when all of the delicious ingredients are piled into toasted bread, this is the kind of sandwich that needs no notes.

Naturally, we aren't alone in this assessment either. The combination of hickory-smoked ham and slow-cooked pulled pork has won over plenty of fans. Though Potbelly's Cubano was originally unveiled as a limited-time offer, the order became a permanent menu item in 2024 thanks to so many favorable customer reviews. In fact, the Cubano was one of the most popular limited sandwiches ever offered by the establishment, and Potbelly visitors weren't best pleased that the sandwich wasn't initially going to be a permanent menu item. "You're killing me here, Potbelly! Why such a limited time??? These are your BEST sandwiches, and you keep them around for less than a month?" one Facebook fan lamented. Thankfully, the sandwich was eventually made permanent.

Though the Cubano sandwich offered at Potbelly may not be an authentic, traditional recipe, the chain's take on the classic favorite has endeared even skeptical sandwich eaters. "This is actually pretty tasty! With deli mustard and pickles, they give that excellent tartness. The pork has great flavor!" gushed a Facebook fan. "As a Tampan, I was ready to get out my pitchfork over another ham sandwich with pickles being called a Cubano. So I was pleasantly surprised to see that it is pretty much a Cubano," added a Redditor. Some Potbelly customers enhance their orders with bacon, onions, mayo, hot peppers, and swap Swiss cheese for cheddar. Notably, any complaints made about this recipe are not about the taste of the sandwich itself but rather the actual process of making the order. 

Comments about the sandwich not being pressed flat or made with authentic crispy Cuban bread, or pulled pork instead of thinly sliced Spanish pork, aren't directed towards the Potbelly Cubano, necessarily, but are more focused on the fact that the sandwich doesn't come in its originally intended form. "This doesn't cut it," complained one such customer on Facebook. Regardless of whether you fall into the purist Cubano camp or not, when it comes to this particular sandwich, Potbelly's version deserves serious consideration for those days when you can't be bothered putting together an all-out Cuban sandwich.